So what is the Cardiff Capital Region?

Well it doesn't actually exist in any formal operational sense and at the moment has been driven by a Welsh Government commissioned independent advisory board chaired by chief executive of the WRU Roger Lewis.

In essence the board want to see a dynamic city region that provides opportunities for all living within it.

It believes that the regional economy, and that of Wales as a whole, would benefit hugely by a joined up approach in terms of economic development, planning, transport investment and marketing.

Cardiff Capital Region in numbers

10

Number of local authorities covered

1.5m

Population

70,000

Daily commuters into Cardiff

80%

GVA per head to UK average

Number of local authorities

Why is it called the Cardiff Capital Region

A number of names were explored including the Cardiff City Capital Region and yes that uninspiring, although mercifully ruled out early on, the South East Wales City Region.

And ten out of ten for leader of Merthyr Council, Brendan Toomey, for trying to get his fellow board members to agreeing to call it Great Merthyr City Region.

There are plenty of city regions globally, but no city regions where the key city is a capital.

So yes it was a good start last year when Mr Lewis announced the name was going to be the Cardiff Capital Region. It wasn't easy, as fair play to leader of Newport Council Bob Bright for seeing the bigger picture too on the name.

Today's report, which many of the board agree in private is not punchy enough, does give enough hints as to where they would like to see things moving to the next stage, starting with transport.

This is about delivery of the Metro, coming out Welsh Government and residing at a city region level.

Challenges

We have a new planning bill coming which does make provision for strategic planning at a city region level. This falls under the portfolio of minister Carl Sergeant.

The Wales Infrastructure Plan comes under Finance Minister Edwina Hart, as well as finance.

Local government reform, following the Williams Commission report recommends that one of the local authorities with the Cardiff Capital Region, in Bridgend, should look to merge with authorities to its west. That is hardly helpful as Bridgend economically naturally looks eastwards and needs to move forward within a Cardiff Capital Region.

It does now need a dedicated city region delivery team that cuts across all Welsh Government departments working to an overall plan of how to implement a Cardiff Capital Region with real teeth, which in the final analysis means statutory powers. And it that means buying in external expertise then so be it.

But it needs First Minister Carwyn Jones to own the project and ensure that his ministers, and their civil service team, are working clearly to an overall city region implementation plan.

Smart move

The work of the Cardiff Capital Region is now done, but the Welsh Government could always commission it to turn around a quick report giving

a clear framework of powers that should sit in the city region.

Connectivity, including digital, is at the heart of the report

Potential South Wales Metro network

The Metro: Yes it looks fantastic but there is so much work and investment required that it has to be seen very much as a long-term infrastructure investment, providing greater capacity for public transport; that's bus and rail and let's make sure there is provision for cyclists too.

The Welsh Government's focus has been ensuring on getting funding for the Valley Lines, which was reached last year with a compromise agreement between the Welsh and UK Government.

It also needs investment in a transport model, and not the wooden variety. This analysis will provide a greater understanding of current rail passenger numbers, which are increasing, and where this increased demand is expected to go over the long-term.

The Metro will not all be traditional heavy line electrified trains, but potentially far more efficient and cheaper tram-trans on some of the Valley routes into Cardiff, as well as on the proposed route down to Cardiff Bay.

And what about finance? The project could cost £2bn over a 20 year period, although with an aligned planning strategy it could see private sector developers providing a contribution as they bring projects, whether retail, office or residential, alongside the route of the Metro.

Some can come from the Welsh Government's capital budget, but also the EU recently indicated that funding can be made for regional transport projects that have a direct impact on lifting regional productivity.

With the levels of deprivation in the Valleys, a Metro could not only bring people closer to job opportunities across the region, but also make it for easier for investment to flow northwards from Cardiff and Newport.

But as the report says a starting point for the city region is transport. That means that the delivery of Metro and its governance, although it must have strong representation for the Welsh Government, has to been overseen by a functioning city region.

Pressure points

It is fine that rail electrification is coming, but not if there are capacity constraints, At present the main stations in Cardiff in Queen Street and Cardiff Central have to handle trains on four lines, including the Merthyr and Rhymney Lines.

A solution could be to turn the Rhymney Line into an electrified tram-train network with a diverted route around Queen Street and down to Cardiff Bay.

This would free up capacity at Queen Street and Cardiff Central so significantly increasing the number of train movements every hour.

Where is the proposed Great Western Cities partnership in all of this?

Great Western Cities leaders left to right Mayor of Bristol George Ferguson with leaders of Cardiff and Newport councils Phil Bale and Bob Bright. Image by Huw John

But if it does happen it should not be seen as being incompatible with the Cardiff Capital Region.

In fact the City Deal being pursued by Cardiff Council, where although no figures have been determined could be a £660m plus funding package over a 10-15 year time period from the Treasury, could provide finance for elements of the Metro.

Another false dawn?

While there are no recommendations in the report, there are subtle hints as to where the board want to project to go; which is a city region with statutory powers and control over the key economic levels of transport, planning and economic development.

What the future map of local government in Wales will look like is unclear, but there will still be an element of services carried out a more local level, even if the big picture economic stuff resides at an city region level.

The ball is now very much in the court of the Welsh Government and quite frankly they have to deliver.